Snowy Pathways
by The Cat Whiskers
Summary: Fluff is the runt of the litter at Chestnut Hill. It's Christmas time, and all her brothers and sisters have found homes and she's desperate to have a home of her own. What happens to kittens that nobody wants?


**AN: I got a bit bored and with Christmas only a few weeks away, I couldn't contain my excitement. This isn't the best I've ever done and I guess I'm feeling a bit left out with all my family busy and me just sat here. But that's how I like it. Anyway, enjoy, R&R :) -TCW**

**ALSO -The next one I might do in Fluff's POV, I'll update later - I have lots of time today, hehe.  
Promise this will turn out Warriors-style, somehow. You'll just have to find out, won't you? ;3**

* * *

Chestnut Hill was a beautiful place in early autumn. The leaves on the big oak trees in the fields had turned golden, and every so often a few of them would whirl down to the ground and give the hens a fright. It was a lovely old place, and the Jones family had been horse breeders there for over a hundred years.

There were many stables, situated in rows across the farmyard, and a big open paddock for the horses to graze in. There was a big barn filled high with hay, horse pellets, eggs and chickens, and a cosy looking farmhouse that looked inviting in the dim sunshine.

But today nobody at the farm was noticing how lovely it all was. Mrs Jones was sat in the office looking at accounts and worrying. It had been a tight year for money, and everyone had suffered. Outside in the yard Ella, Mrs Jones' daughter, was trying to tighten the door on Smokey's stable.

"Ow!" she yelped as she hit herself, yet again, with the hammer. Smokey gave a bemused look from inside the stable, munching happily on his hay.  
"This is your fault Smokey," she scolded, raising the hammer again and hitting the nails back in place. "if you weren't such a trouble-maker I wouldn't have to be doing this!"  
As she hit the last nail back in to the door, she gave a big 'whew' and wiped her forehead. Smokey came and poked his head over, snuffling and looking up at Ella with his big, chocolate eyes.  
"Oh Smokey, you are a cheeky boy." she giggled, presenting a mint and holding it out for the dark grey pony who ate it greedily. Beyond the crunching and snorting, Ella could hear a funny squeaking sound. What was it?

The fourteen year old leaned over the door, prodding through the straw until..  
"Rose! You've had kittens!" she exclaimed, almost falling in. Rose glared at her and protectively wrapped her tail around four fluffy balls. They were all squirming, trying to get the warmest spot by their mother.  
"Oh there gorgeous! Two black, a ginger - oh no! Hold on, two gingers and - oh dear." her voice flattened as she saw a small tabby kitten being squashed by her brothers and sisters. She was hardly moving and she was so much smaller, even though she had a great mother Ella couldn't help but worry that the tiny thing was too small to survive..

* * *

The next morning, Ella got up extra early to go and see the kittens. She hadn't told her parents yet, but she decided she was going to after breakfast. On went her boots, scarf and hat and up went the zip on her big jacket. Ella opened the front door and closed it as quietly as she could and raced down the yard. Ten doors down a big grey head poked over the half-door and gave a soft nicker of welcome.  
"Mornin' Smokey!" she said cheerfully, popping a carrot in to the pony's mouth and slipping in to the warm stable. "I hope you don't mind me coming in, I want to have a look at the kittens.."

Ella pulled back the straw to see only two kittens- one ginger and the little tabby mewing in the hay. The ginger kitten wobbled around in a comical way, stumbling and rolling - never quite managing to get to her paws, but the little tabby just lay there and mewled, her delicate body trembling with the cold. Ella stoked the over-sized fluffy head with a sigh, her eyes filling with tears thinking that the pretty kit had slim chances of making it.  
"Don't worry," Ella breathed, "Rose is a good mother. She'll look after you."  
The kitten opened his tiny mouth in a silent mew, maybe of agreement. Somewhere behind her she heard mewing and she turned to see Rose sitting there, waving her tail with her ears flat. It was clear she wasn't happy.  
"Sorry Rose, I just wanted to have a look. I'll go now, bye kittens." she mumbled as she got to her feet, dodging past Smokey's bulk and slipping out of the stable door, peering back in once to see Rose pick up the ginger kitten by the scruff and walk off. The fragile tabby sat and silently mewed, and Ella sighed before closing the stable door and running back to the farm house.

As she came through the door, she could hear talking and plates clashing and a kettle boiling. The delicious smell of toast wafted up her nose and Ella kicked off her boots and raced inside. Mr Jones and James, her very annoying brother, were sat at the table munching away at an English breakfast.  
"Been outside, huh?" her father asked between a mouthful of beans and toast. Ella nodded and took a seat, her mother soon presenting her with food.  
"Rose has had kittens!" she burst out, and everyone turned to look.  
"Really? Oh how lovely," said Mrs Jones as she slid in to the chair to eat her breakfast. "how many are there?"  
"Five, but-"  
"Five more mouths to feed," a gloomy voice sighed. Elliot was at agricultural college, training in farm management. He loved Chestnut Hill, the whole family did, but he hated how things were going down hill. The yard was making barely enough money to live on, and he was counting each penny.  
"Oh James, they're only tiny mouths. We can feed five little kittens!" laughed Mrs Jones.  
"I think it might be four soon," said Ella sadly. "There's a little tabby one- it's so small. I'm really worried that she's not going to make it."  
Mrs Jones mumbled something and jumped up, putting on her boots and a jacket,  
"Let's take a look, El, where are they?"  
Ella led her mother to Smokey's stable.  
"I saw them here last, but I think she moved them. Do you think she'd have taken them to  
the barn?"  
"Maybe, let's have a look- it's worth a try. Wherever they are, they've got their  
mother to look after them."

In the barn the little family was situated between two hay bales. They looked very comfy.  
Ella hoped her mother would say she was making a fuss about nothing, but instead Mrs Jones  
looked at the littlest kitten sadly.  
"I think you might be right, Ella. It's far too little. What a pity.."  
"Please don't call her an it, Mum. I'm certain it's a little girl kitten."  
"I see what you mean, she's so pretty and delicate with her lovely brown and black markings."  
Mrs Jones sighed and turned to her daughter who's eyes were brimming with tears.  
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Ella mumbled, rubbing her face slowly.  
"Well, I suppose we could try her with some special kitten milk out of an eye-dropper,  
that's only if Rose would let us. But Ella you have to listen, you can't get too attached.  
I'm really sorry, but her chances just aren't good."

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks, Ella wondered if Rose had heard them talking about the  
little kitten and how she wasn't likely to survive. Rose was a stubborn old cat, and  
seemed determined to prove everyone wrong. She always made sure the tabby got an extra  
turn at suckling, and by the time the kittens were three weeks old and starting to explore  
the barn, the tabby was catching up. Rose was very protective of them, but she did let  
Ella and her mum occasinally come in and feed the tabby, and cuddle with the kittens. The  
littlest fought for more than her fair share of cuddles, and would lie in Ella's arms and  
purr a purr that seemed far to loud for such a tiny creature.

It wasn't long before the bigger kittens got bored of exploring the barn and play-fighting,  
so they started trying to escape.  
One morning the two boy kittens hid behind the barn door and as Ella opened it, they  
shot out in to the farmyard like two rockets. At first they seemed taken aback, surprised  
about the vast space beyond the tall barn walls, but they most certainly were not going back  
in. Rose seemed to realise that she couldn't keep them in any longer and shooed the other  
kittens outside but the tabby just cried and hid behind her mother - outside was just too  
big and scary.  
Rose nudged the little ball of fluff to the door, where she mewed miserably and wiggled her  
tiny paws in a desperate attempt to get back to the safety of the hay in the barn.  
"Rose!" scolded Ella, gently picking up the little kitten. "Poor ball of fluff, she's  
scared!"  
The kitten snuggled in to Ella's red fleece - this was most certainly a better place to be.  
She'd heard the word 'fluff' so many times, everyone seemed to say it when they saw her.  
_Perhaps that's my name?_ the tabby thought happily, snuggling deeper in to the fleece and  
falling to a deep, cosy sleep.

Ella, Elliot and their parents decided not to give any of the kittens any names, because  
they knew their time at the yard was short. As soon as they were eight weeks old they were  
old enough to leave Rose and find homes for themselves. But Ella found herself stuck in the  
habit of calling the little one Fluff. Everyone told her off about it.  
"I told you not to get attached to any of them!" her mum tutted, "If you name her you'll  
want her to stay and you know we can't afford it!"  
"But she is just a Fluff!" argued Ella, pointing to the kitten who sat in the corner,  
purring as Elliot stroked under her chin. "Look, she's the world's fluffiest kitten!"  
And it was true, Fluff had a big brown coat with black tabby markings, huge white paws and  
a huge white shirt-front. She had her mother's big brown eyes, and despite having a big  
purr, Fluff still had the same little mew that broke Ella's heart the day she was born.

* * *

There seemed no time at all before eight weeks came, and went. Fluff was still the smallest, and looked even smaller because seemed to be all fluff, whereas her brothers and sisters and adopted short and silky coats. Ella watched them with a smile as they played in the yard. The two black girl kittens were exploring and old bucket, while the two ginger boys played tug of war her father's old shoelace. As usual, Fluff was sat on her own, watching as her brothers and sisters had fun, too timid to join in. Ella sighed, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the little kitten, she always seemed to be left out of their fun and games.

Mrs Jones and Elliot appeared at the front door with steaming mugs.  
"I understand you want to keep them all, Ella, but I- we think they're old enough to find new homes now. They don't need Rose anymore." said Mrs Jones, taking a sip of her tea as she watched them frolic in the leaves.  
"I'll put up a sign on the gate in a bit, saying they're free to good homes. I can put up the signs for Holly wreaths as well, they always bring in that extra bit of money at Christmas. And we need every penny." she smiled, and continued drinking her tea. Ella made a face, there farm was on the outskirts of the town and lots of people came to buy wreaths and mistletoe at Christmas time. The wreaths did make a lot of money, but it meant spending the most of Christmas with prickled fingers.  
"It's a pity," sighed Elliot, watching Fluff half-halfheartedly play with a piece of string. "I don't think anyone will want this one, she's so skinny- she looks half starved!"  
"How can you be so cruel!" Ella protested, "she's gorgeous!"  
But secretly, Ella hoped her brother was right- she didn't want Fluff to leave the farm, never mind face the big wide world!


End file.
